[2] The highest profile signing was striker Lee Bradbury, who joined from Portsmouth for a club record £3 million.

Because we've got to fill the reserves with senior pros needing match practice or players we're trying to sell, the youngsters' development is held up.

Off the field, the club introduced a new badge, and changed the colour of the home shirt to a much deeper shade termed "laser blue".

[9] In its preview of the forthcoming season, The Times listed bookmakers odds that put Manchester City as 6/1 joint second favourites to win the division.

Jason van Blerk made his debut in the match, having signed on a free transfer in the run-up to the fixture.

Lee Bradbury cracked a vertebra at the start of October, and coupled with an injury to Uwe Rösler, City were left with few options in attack.

A succession of reserve strikers were tried; Barry Conlon, Chris Greenacre, Ray Kelly and Gerry Creaney all saw their first action of the season.

[11] The situation was exacerbated in late October when Kinkladze crashed his Ferrari, sustaining a back injury that required 30 stitches and caused him to miss two matches.

On the tenth anniversary of a match in which the same opposition were beaten 10–1, Manchester City succumbed to a defeat that was last-placed club Huddersfield's first away win of the season.

This proved the end of the road for Clark, who was sacked later that day and replaced by Joe Royle, who had been out of the game since resigning as Everton manager a year prior.

Source: [1] Manchester City entered the FA Cup in the third round, the starting point for all clubs in the top two divisions.